Members
MMW TRUST
Ms. Manju Mitra was born in Calcutta, India, and brought up in London, UK. After completing her education with an MSc in Mathematics from London University, she pursued a professional career as a management consultant specialising in IT audit and business risk management. She worked with leading organisations including Hoskyns (later Cap Gemini), Price Waterhouse (later PricewaterhouseCoopers), Shell International Petroleum Company, and Ernst & Young. During her years in the UK, she was also closely associated with several charitable organisations and trusts. Following her retirement, she returned to Kolkata, where she has since been actively engaged in a range of social service projects. To ensure continuity and expansion of these efforts, a trust was established in February 2025 to provide sustainable social and welfare services initiated by her and fellow Trustees.
Ms. Manju Mitra
Dr. Raya Das is a social scientist with a Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University who works on farmers’ livelihoods, rural development, and markets. She has carried out village surveys to understand the real challenges faced by farming families and rural workers. She has conducted extensive rural surveys across Indian villages to study farm income, credit access, and rural inequality, highlighting the challenges faced by underprivileged communities. Her research has been published in leading journals and policy briefs on issues such as food inflation, crop diversification, rural finance, and post-harvest management, with the aim of shaping policies that improve farmers’ lives. Along with her research, she is actively engaged in social welfare through MMW Trust, focusing on education, health awareness, women’s empowerment, and livelihood skill development to support underprivileged communities.
Dr. Raya Das
Dr. Tilak Kumar Ghosh
Mr. Basab Chanda, Retired Associate Professor in Commerce, has been actively engaged in rural development initiatives since 2005. He advises NABARD- and DRDC-supported NGOs in North 24 Parganas on entrepreneurship development and legal formalities for FPOs. As the Managing Trustee of Bimal Kanti Chanda Memorial Trust, he leads projects in Birbhum and Bankura districts, including ‘Itun Asra’, a non-formal primary school preserving Santhal language and culture, and community programmes such as dance, karate training, and social welfare support. He is also involved in the development of ‘Khiri Shri Shri Ramakrishna Pathachakra’, supporting over 200 volunteer teachers and students
Mr. Basab Chanda
Swami Viragananda Maharaj is a revered monk and preacher associated with the Khiri Sri Sri Ramakrishna Pathachakra, located in Khiri, Kotulpur, Bankura. He received his spiritual initiation from Srimat Swami Gahananda Maharaj, his Diksha Guru, and has dedicated his life to spiritual service, education, and social welfare. Over the years, he has undertaken several social service initiatives with lasting impact, including community education programmes, welfare support for underprivileged families, and active involvement in rural development activities. His work reflects the values of the Ramakrishna Mission — compassion, selfless service, and empowerment of the marginalized. As a trustee, he brings vision and dedication to the Manju Mitra Welfare Trust, helping to strengthen its outreach in education, livelihood support, and community welfare.
Swami Viragananda Maharaj
Mr. Sandeep Sen Gupta is an Assistant Teacher at Baranagar Sree Sree Ramkrishna Vidyapith, Kolkata. He holds an M.A. in English, a B.Ed., and a CCRT qualification. With over 32 years of teaching experience, he has also served as a teacher educator in English language for in-service government school teachers for 16 years. As a resource person for Indian Culture with the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), he has contributed for 12 years. For the past nine years, he has collaborated with an Irish NGO to support teachers and students in the remote Sundarban region. In addition, he regularly conducts classes on moral values at various centres of the Ramakrishna Mission.
Mr. Sandeep Sen Gupta
Ms. Sarmila Mallik (Banerjee) retired at the age of 60 from the University of Calcutta in October 2016. At that time she was the Rajiv Gandhi Chair Professor of Eco-systems and Sustainable Development. She was in the faculty of Economics of the same institution for nearly four decades. Besides CU as a teacher she had long association with JNU, New Delhi & ISI, Kolkata and as researcher with two universities of the US, viz., UF & UCSB. She has active interest in gerontology, value-oriented life-skill education and social emotional experiential learning. After retirement she is engaged with the Education and Cultural Wing of Ramakrishna Sarada Mission and especially with Sister Nivedita Heritage Museum and Knowledge Centre as volunteer.